yeah, festival date, crowd-pleasing mode. but those can be the best when it comes to duke.
― tylerw, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
Happy 113th, Duke! WCKR birthday broadcast here.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Sunday, 29 April 2012 16:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
Thanks for the tip. Happy Birthday, Duke!
― Stars on 45 Fell on Alabama (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 29 April 2012 18:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
happy b-day! here he is 50 years ago
― tylerw, Sunday, 29 April 2012 19:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
Nice!
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Sunday, 29 April 2012 19:34 (1 year ago) Permalink
Don't know why it took me a decade to get around to watching Ken Burns' Jazz doc, but there was a fascinating bit about Duke composing the ambitious but melancholy 13 minute "Reminiscing In Tempo" after his mother's passing in 1935. Critics savaged it at the time, but it sounds like a groundbreaking masterpiece. The version I found, however, from a 9 disc Complete Brunswick, Columbia and Master sounds like crap, recorded off a scratchy 78. Anyone know the best version? I'm guessing it's the Best of 1932-39, as it was restored by Harry Coster from the Dutch Jazz Archive. Ironically Sony released the budget priced set just in 2008, but it's already sold out and now fetching prices over $75. Trade, anyone?
The Best of Duke Ellington: 1932-1939 [4CD]Masterpieces 1926-1949 [4CD]Reminiscing In Tempo (1991 comp)
― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 15 February 2013 03:25 (3 months ago) Permalink
Further reading says the version I have is actually from the 11 disc Mosaic set, The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick,Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, and it's supposed to be the best. That can't be right!
― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 15 February 2013 03:59 (3 months ago) Permalink
Sadly, that's probably the case. I haven't heard, or heard of, a single instance of any Mosaic set having anything less than stellar mastering from the best available sources.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 15 February 2013 14:43 (3 months ago) Permalink
Had never heard this one (but there's tons of Ellingtom I haven't heard). This original 78 sounds really nice!
― Nataly Dawn's echoey swamp sound (Dan Peterson), Friday, 15 February 2013 15:33 (3 months ago) Permalink